tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1257984735844633669..comments2015-03-31T17:58:02.861-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: (LAST KING OF THE UNITED SWEDEN AND NORWAY) WEDNESDAY, Jan. 16, 2008 - Barry C. SilkRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91901671262180846062008-02-27T16:46:00.000-05:002008-02-27T16:46:00.000-05:00Six weeks later ...Loved this puzzle, had the secr...Six weeks later ...<BR/>Loved this puzzle, had the secret James Bond vibe to it with all the clandestine clues. <BR/><BR/>I thought this was easier than yesterday, got MYSTERY ALASKA from MY-, PUZZLE PALACE and ENIGMA MACHINE were gimmes from the clues. I grew up reading Ludlum and Deighton and Forsyth, so I enjoyed the spy stuff. The story of the Enigma Machine is fascinating. Fun puzzle, Barry!Jet City Gamblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59727211830664363042008-02-27T13:38:00.000-05:002008-02-27T13:38:00.000-05:00Never heard the word misremember before Roger Clem...Never heard the word misremember before Roger Clemens said it in the steroid hearings. Now I'm wondering if he got it from your commentary on today's puzzle. You never know who's reading.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13931536898656178452008-01-17T00:04:00.000-05:002008-01-17T00:04:00.000-05:00found you while googling "stork's bundle." "Arriva...found you while googling "stork's bundle." "Arrival" didn't occur to me -- my wrong crosses were misleading. Anyway, "arrival" untangled that block. Thanks for the tip. Now I can retire.Mudducknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90659947583624107012008-01-16T23:59:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:59:00.000-05:00Not in my nature to pwn. Others may consider othe...Not in my nature to pwn. Others may consider otherwise, but lording a victory over someone, irrespective of the field, yields no gratification. If I hadn't learned this already from my attempted childhood religious indoctrination, I got it from being a parent and teacher a bit later in life.Fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53372096003360575322008-01-16T23:36:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:36:00.000-05:00Fergus, just Google "pwn." It's got its own Wikipe...Fergus, just Google "pwn." It's got its own Wikipedia entry.<BR/><BR/>Doc John, I cringe at usage like the phrase "ghetto-speak" far more than at something like "What up."<BR/><BR/>"Could of" isn't casual speech or slang—it's a written mangle of "could've."Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66239473300910080422008-01-16T23:16:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:16:00.000-05:00Pwned is perhaps a term I ought to learn something...Pwned is perhaps a term I ought to learn something about. In my shady existence, such verbal infidelity seems to happen all the time, despite my withering remonstrances. <BR/><BR/>Pwned is a past participle, I'm assuming?Fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37875689661276613082008-01-16T23:13:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:13:00.000-05:00Was Problem Child a "surprise hit" in the same way...Was Problem Child a "surprise hit" in the same way Weekend at Bernie's was?Sobriquet Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09146978394033288780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19517167976056937022008-01-16T23:04:00.000-05:002008-01-16T23:04:00.000-05:00You're right, Fergus. At the time, "alliterative"...You're right, Fergus. At the time, "alliterative" was the best I could come up with.<BR/><BR/>pwned? Not sure what that is but PLEASE let it never show up in a crossword!doc Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9940588519124921252008-01-16T22:23:00.000-05:002008-01-16T22:23:00.000-05:00aw man, doc john, you just got pwned. Irregardles...aw man, doc john, you just got pwned. Irregardless, Im with you on apostrophe's.green mantisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17220504880141561192008-01-16T22:02:00.000-05:002008-01-16T22:02:00.000-05:00Only asking as a serial pedantic jerk, Doc John, b...Only asking as a serial pedantic jerk, Doc John, but didn't you mean homophonic rather than alliterative?Fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90181099246192590852008-01-16T21:43:00.000-05:002008-01-16T21:43:00.000-05:00Speaking of mangled English, while the hated "coul...Speaking of mangled English, while the hated "could of" is at least an alliterative spelling of what is said (it's still WRONG WRONG WRONG), there's a cell phone company out here (god I hope it's only out here) that actually PROMOTES such ghetto-speak as "Where you at" and "What up." AAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't use them even if they gave iPhones away for free!<BR/><BR/>And don't even get me started on apostrophe misuse!doc Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18249502988796287082008-01-16T21:08:00.000-05:002008-01-16T21:08:00.000-05:00hey, Rex -two Zetas with a tie-in to today's puzzl...hey, Rex -<BR/>two Zetas with a tie-in to today's puzzle:<BR/><BR/>Pete Wilson - Mayor of San Diego - Aztecs<BR/>Benjamin Spock - Baby Guy - arrivals<BR/><BR/>And to top it off, both are Pantheonic Elis.Dick Swarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352363326468882100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31308947722871380722008-01-16T20:58:00.000-05:002008-01-16T20:58:00.000-05:00Just to add fuel to the smoldering tangent, I have...Just to add fuel to the smoldering tangent, I have to back Al up on this one - "Mystery, Alaska" is actually a decent movie (even better if you only consider the sub-sub-genre of hockey movies). There's actually dialogue and focus on characters and everything, not just pucks and missing teeth! Of course, the last 20 minutes or so I remember being the 'big game' against the hated NY Rangers, but still; it's worth a rental or Netflix if it sounds like your cup of cocoa.Howard Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00766792795622192271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88400461068892173292008-01-16T20:32:00.000-05:002008-01-16T20:32:00.000-05:00Got to thinking about "off of" and got into quite ...Got to thinking about "off of" and got into quite a muddle. The expression is most often used, I would guess, as a double preposition, which just seems redundant. While 'of' is always a preposition, the dictionary I'm looking at has 'off' as just about every part of speech except a verb. It predates The Sopranos, obviously. This Random House, which is often quite handy for Usage, considers "off of" nonstandard, and poor style. Doesn't bother me, but I also wince at the 'could of' construction. Might also be about time to check on the correct usage "quotes" and 'inverted commas.'Fergushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26449859803631501152008-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:002008-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:00I concur with Green Mantis: "off of" is colloquial...I concur with Green Mantis: "off of" is colloquial and chatty. Not kosher for formal writing, but this here blog ain't so formal.<BR/><BR/>I did just read a messageboard post elsewhere that asked, "Does anyone know where I can buy this at?" I think that <I>at</I> is more obtrusively extraneous than Rex's <I>of</I>.Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6982390720630124312008-01-16T19:56:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:56:00.000-05:00Acoustic Echo Canceling sounds (pun intended) like...Acoustic Echo Canceling sounds (pun intended) like a much more playful group than Atomic Energy Commission.<BR/><BR/>Reading A Madmen Dreams of Turing Machines, try it out for some Enigma history<BR/><BR/>ITunes download is down: Off to the movies for me.dknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46341114096840276402008-01-16T19:42:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:42:00.000-05:00I loved seeing that iPhone pic- I did the update o...I loved seeing that iPhone pic- I did the update on mine but didn't know about that feature of putting a bookmark on the home screen until coming here. Another perk of visiting this site daily!<BR/><BR/>@ karmasatre: it's always 73 degrees on the iPhone home screen- that weather icon isn't dynamic. Ditto for the clock icon.<BR/><BR/>I was totally in the clay potter mindset with that SOIL clue. Couldn't figure out why it was SOIL until I got here. Duh.<BR/><BR/>I got ENIGMA MACHINE just from the clue. Doesn't <I>everyone</I> watch The History Channel?<BR/><BR/>When I think of MYSTERY, ALASKA, I think of Burt Reynolds, not Russell Crowe. Even though I saw it, I forgot he was in it.<BR/><BR/>While I'm on movie stars, don't miss NEVE Campbell in "Reefer Madness- The Movie Musical". Also with the very talented Alan Cumming. The movie is very funny, campy and satirical and the music's good, too!Doc Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19122072347099544372008-01-16T19:39:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:39:00.000-05:00"Could of, would of," etc. is a huge pet peeve of ..."Could of, would of," etc. is a huge pet peeve of mine. The day it becomes a sort-of-acceptable alternative to actual English will be the day I renounce membership in our species. <BR/><BR/>"Off of," however, strikes me as just colloquial, in keeping with the tone of the blog.green mantisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35261609719379534452008-01-16T19:30:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:30:00.000-05:00Well, since anonymous 5:24 brought it up, Safire h...Well, since anonymous 5:24 brought it up, Safire had a column in last week's Magazine <A HREF="http://tinyurl.com/yp3gsa" REL="nofollow"> about "of."</A>kratsmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9908651579483718122008-01-16T19:18:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:18:00.000-05:00Wow, there's a lot of new people checking in and I...Wow, there's a lot of new people checking in and I am not an oldbie, I've only been checking in for a few months.<BR/><BR/>This is great fun. I'll keep coming back in the hope that y'all will to.ricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13045698940095231402008-01-16T17:53:00.000-05:002008-01-16T17:53:00.000-05:00Derat strikes me as a cheesy word as well. You wou...Derat strikes <EM>me</EM> as a cheesy word as well. You wouldn't bring in the cat to demouse the house, would you? Not unless your last name was Seuss.JimHornehttp://profile.typekey.com/JimHorne/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87928198039748707402008-01-16T17:50:00.000-05:002008-01-16T17:50:00.000-05:00@ KarenHere is what I think is going on...The Bols...@ Karen<BR/><BR/>Here is what I think is going on...The Bolsheviks terminated the the Russian Tsar and his family in 1917. Olga was one of the unfortunate children who died in the slaughter. She was in the news last month as they found her unmarked grave recently. You can look it up int the NYTimes archives. It could be argued that the Russian Revolution was a CLASS war with many RIVAL factions.PhillySolverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06896753042626337920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56831430906938679152008-01-16T17:38:00.000-05:002008-01-16T17:38:00.000-05:00I thank you for the quote also Leon.I thought it k...I thank you for the quote also Leon.<BR/><BR/>I thought it kind of unfair to have the obscure baseball name (sorry Rex), obsure opera term, and random greek letter all cross into the same word. PUZZLE was the last word I got. <BR/><BR/>I have to say, I don't get Emily's drawing today. Can someone explain it to me?Karennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37531938069656019952008-01-16T17:35:00.000-05:002008-01-16T17:35:00.000-05:00I really wanted to use OLI for 2D, thinking it mig...I really wanted to use OLI for 2D, thinking it might be an Italian pastry shot from guns.<BR/><BR/>Love this blog and Emily Cureton's marvelous drawings!grandaDnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73857447469698527982008-01-16T17:24:00.000-05:002008-01-16T17:24:00.000-05:00"solution off of crap pop?"Someone told me one tim..."solution off of crap pop?"<BR/><BR/>Someone told me one time that "off of" is an inappropriate useage, and I have always wondered. Now I see an English professor use it, and I have to ask. What's the deal?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com